Among the many swag houses associated with the Sundance Film Festival, the Ice Lounge was unique. Unlike typical hospitality lounges, it did not merely thrust branded goodies into the arms of visiting celebrities. The Ice Lounge asked for donations to support environmental causes.
The Ice Lounge green concept was created by North Face. The company arranged this lounge with the help of UPP Entertainment of Los Angeles, California. The presenting sponsors were North Face, Lexus, and St. Regis, Deer Crest.
The Ice Lounge was located on the future site of the St. Regis hotel in Deer Valley. Opening in 2008, the five-star hotel will utilize some recycled building materials in its construction, and will obtain a portion of its electricity from wind power.
The Ice Lounge hosted a partnership of several environmentally-conscious companies. Lexus showcased a GS450H Lexus hybrid car, Lexus Hybrid Challenge virtual driving games, and representatives with information about living a hybrid lifestyle. The game was not just for fun Lexus donated $2,000 to selected environmental causes in the name of the high score of each day. Lexus also donated $100 for each rider in the shuttle service they provided to and from the Ice Lounge venue.
It’s not hard to make smart choices to be environmentally friendly. Lexus “embraces sustainability without sacrificing style, comfort and luxury.” Find out how at lexus.com/hybridliving.
North Face generously provided gift packages of high-quality winter gear as rewards for donations. The donations went to two environmental programs, Ski Green, and Go (Expedition) Zero.
Celebrities and locals who visited the venue both responded well to these programs, and were generally happy to donate. Many people were actually already familiar with the organizations.
The Go Zero initiative is to offset carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. The fund is very impressive in that 96percent of the proceeds go directly to the cause.
Ski Green is a very important partnership between the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and leaders in the snow sports industry. The program encourages mountain resorts to charge just two dollars extra for each lift ticket in order to support the usage of non-polluting, renewable, but currently more expensive sources of energy.
Two dollars is a small price for snow lovers to pay to help keep winter cool by reducing harmful fuel emissions which cause global warming. Without cold winters, there is no snow, and therefore no snow sports.
Because of Ski Green’s great potential to make a difference, I sincerely hope that all resorts, including those here in Park City, adopt this Ski Green concept in order to help preserve cool winter temperatures and keep their businesses running in the future. I also hope that everyone who loves winter and winter sports chooses to live smarter lifestyles in order to preserve what they love.
For more information about Ski Green, visit skigreen.org. To learn more about Go Zero, visit conservationfund.org.